


Another world

by Ta_Moe



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Complete, Future Fic, M/M, Post Season/Series 05, Pre Season/Series 01, Prequel, all mixed up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-24
Updated: 2013-09-06
Packaged: 2017-12-06 09:41:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/734242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ta_Moe/pseuds/Ta_Moe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Arthur gets hit by an unknown spell and somehow ends up in a world he has never seen before, where he meets a man who calls himself Merlin, but no one else, and tells him that they know each other - only problem: Arthur doesn't know anyone called Merlin...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The story centres in the 'Merlin'-timeline before series 01! as well as AFTER series 05! so beware of possible (but minor) spoilers and a lot of confusion.

The morning was the same as always. Arthur Pendragon woke up early and went to training with his knights. There was a hunt scheduled for the early afternoon and he was looking forward to getting out of the castle grounds and into the deep forest.  
The mood was relaxed and the sun was beaming down hotly on the sweaty men going at each other with sticks.  
Suddenly the sky darkened and clouds drifted into an apocalyptic ocean of shadows and blackness.  
Everyone stopped in whatever they were doing and rose their heads, looking up. Whispers were heard among the knights and prince Arthur looked around, his hand clenching around the hilt of his sword.  
“Sire?”, a man with long dark hair called out to him, “What's happening?”  
Arthur kept watching the growling sky above their heads. Thunder was rolling.  
“I don't know”, he muttered and whirled around to address his men, “But it doesn't look good! Retreat! Back to the castle! Warn everyone!”  
He added under his breath, “Magic...”  
The knights turned on their heels, making their ways back to the castle, as lighting struck and a bolt hit the ground Arthur was standing on.  
The last thing he saw was his men, looking terrified into his direction, others fleeing the scene. Then everything went pitch black.

*

The next second he found himself standing in a big hall, in the centre of a huge building it seemed. Windows were surrounding him and light was floating in from above and around, but he couldn't see any chandeliers or candles, but different kinds of small round objects emitting bright light. There was a small round pond in the middle of the hall he was standing in, from where a fountain was going up and down non stop.  
It was a very busy place. Lots of people were rushing down the hallways and within this hall, into the ensued rooms filled with more bustling people and colourful gowns and garments.  
Arthur blinked at the bright colours surrounding him and realised some of the by-passers staring at him, children were pointing and mothers pulling them along.  
The whispers got louder and all eyes came upon him. He whirled around, expecting an attack from behind, but nothing happened.  
Instead a man completely dressed in black wearing a wear helmet or headpiece walked up to him and started talking in a language that strangely enough sounded familiar but at the same time wasn't.  
The man pointed at Arthur's sword and said something.  
The prince looked at him, all senses sharp and ready for battle.  
More and more people around them stopped in their tracks and watched them. Arthur didn't really know where to look first. How came that there were so many people here anyway? And why was the man in front of him taking out a book now and starting to write something down?  
“Who are you? And what do you want? What is this place?!”, Arthur asked confused, pointing his sword at the stranger in front of him, who quickly took a step back.  
“Are you a sorcerer? Did you bring me here?”, Arthur almost yelled.  
“Speak! TELL ME!”, he became agitated and frustrated, scared of how foreign this place seemed.  
The man spoke to him again, waving his little book around. He seemed to be getting angry, but Arthur wouldn't keep calm anymore.  
“I'm ARTHUR PENDRAGON! Prince of CAMELOT”, he shouted, audible to everyone in this hall with him.  
He then made a quick move forward and held his sword to the neck of the stranger with the weird helmet, “and I DEMAND an explanation!”  
The man stared at him with widened eyes and swallowed hard. Two more of his men, dressed the same, approached Arthur from the side and pointed strange metallic looking things at him, Arthur didn't care.  
The people around them screamed and ran away, some hid themselves under benches or behind clothing stalls. Within seconds, no one was standing anymore.  
“YOU – TELL ME – RIGHT NOW – WHERE I AM!”, Arthur demanded again, loudly.  
The man in his grip only stared at him. He was scared, as much was obvious, and he truly didn't seem to understand a word he was saying, because he kept babbling in his own strange language.  
“Hmpf”, the prince groaned annoyed and let go of the man in front of him, shoving him away, who immediately fell to the floor, scrambled up again and ran away, keeping a save distance between himself and Arthur's sword.  
The prince sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I guess you don't know what I'm saying either, huh?”, he said to a young woman hiding underneath a bench. All he got was a terrified look.  
“Great, now what?”, Arthur sighed and let his sword sink.  
He neither knew how he'd gotten here nor where he was and it seemed no one was able to tell him or even understand him, but neither could he.  
The other two men in black ran up to him and took the chance of his momentarily giving up and took hold of his arms and gripped his sword, taking it off him.  
Arthur didn't care and didn't struggle. Where was the point?  
First he had to find out what place this was and if he got captured maybe he'd be brought to their leader and get the information he needed: Where he was and if there was a way of getting back to Camelot.

They lead him out of this strange big building with all its shiny bright surfaces and light, the colourful clothes and people staring at him as if they had never seen someone like him before.  
Outside he was faced with even stranger and scarier things. It was loud and busy. He'd never seen so many people at once before, except in battle, but here they were just running around, talking to themselves, to other people, gesturing wildly and walking on.  
Arthur's eyes widened at the sight of buildings so high he had never seen before, as he was being pulled through the crowd.  
“What... is this place”, he muttered and craned his neck to look up at a sound high above him, and he saw a silver big metallic looking bird flying over their heads, too thin for a dragon and with wings too small to carry it through the air. 

They stopped and a door to something like a small black carriage without horses was being held open for Arthur. One of the men holding his arms let go of him, but gripped his wrists instead and handcuffed him. Arthur rose his brows in confusion but simply shrugged it off and let himself getting pushed into the horseless carriage.  
When the man had shut the door after him and nodded at the one sitting in front of Arthur, bars separating them, the prince moved his hands up to the window and traced the unfamiliar surface with his fingers.  
“Is that... glass?”, he wondered and fell back into his seat when they suddenly started to move.  
“How? There are no horses?!”, he exclaimed and held onto the bars in front of him.  
“What is this?”, he asked quietly, looking out of the window, seeing the strange world passing by so fast it was only a blur.  
His eyes tried to focus but it seemed impossible and he got dizzy, suddenly feeling really nauseous and his stomach made a gurgling noise.  
“Uh”, he groaned and covered his mouth with his hands.  
The man in the front seat glanced back at him, said something while making some gestures towards the back of his seat, but Arthur didn't know what he was saying. He only kept suppressing his urge to vomit.  
They stopped then and the man in the front was talking to him agitated and sounded angry, almost threatening.  
Arthur blinked, only feeling sicker and the man pulled the door open with force and manhandled Arthur out of the carriage. The second he was outside Arthur bent over and emptied his stomach onto the ground in a very unprincely manner.  
The man in black shook his head and rambled on about something. Then he held out a tissue to Arthur and sighed. The prince looked up at him and made a face, but took the tissue anyway, cleaning his mouth.

It took them about thirty more minutes to get to another big building, where they stopped with the strange carriage in the courtyard and got out. Arthur was being led inside and stared at everything he came across. The huge glass windows, the white and smooth walls of the castle-like house and the people running about in and around it, minding their own businesses.  
The man who was with Arthur said something to him and the next moment the blonde found himself sitting in a cell. Even the dungeons were white and clean in this world. He looked around and was facing himself in a mirror. He got to his feet and walked over to it and looked at his reflection.  
“This is a weird place”, he stated mumbling to himself and sighed, running a hand through his messy hair, turning around and looking out of his prison cell.  
A man was sitting there reading a book. Maybe a guard.  
“Hey!”, Arthur called out to him, but the man only looked up once, shrugged and turned back to reading his book.  
“Hmpf”, Arthur snorted and sat back down on the bed. There was actually a bed in this cell.  
Even the sheets felt rather soft. “This place really is... different”

He didn't know for how long he had been in there, but at some point a man came towards him and said something in this unfamiliar language again. Arthur just watched him, not understanding one word of what he was saying. Then another man joined the man dressed in black and came running towards the bars, beaming at Arthur, which was almost worrying.  
“Arthur!”, that man exclaimed happily and when the man in black opened the door to the cell the other much younger man came straight up at him and hugged him tightly. “Arthur, you are here!”  
Arthur didn't know what was going on, who that person was or how he knew him, let alone why the hell he hugged him as if he were a friend, but he was glad that there finally was a person he was able to understand.  
When the man pulled back a little again, Arthur got a better look at him. He had blue eyes, shining at him with so much emotion, Arthur couldn't quite sort them. The man was wearing a long dark blue coat and a red scarf around his neck, above a white shirt. His hair was curly and covered his ears slightly, that seemed to be just a fraction too big but still right in size in regards to the rest of his face. His full lips were turned up into a happy smile and only then did Arthur realise that the stranger's hands were still on the small of his back and he pushed him off.  
“Hello... uhm... I don't know who you are, but I'm glad that you seem to be someone who can actually... understand me”, Arthur said, nodding towards the stranger, who's brows furrowed at his words.  
“But Arthur... It's me... Merlin, I know I look a bit different, but isn't that to be expected after all this time?”, the man said, eyeing Arthur with a hopeful smile.  
“I think I'd know anyone with such a strange name... so no, I don't know you, but maybe you can explain all this to me? Where am I?”, Arthur said a little frustrated.  
The man called Merlin took a step back and bit down on his bottom lip. “You... you don't remember? You... don't know who I am?”  
Arthur shook his head, “No, I don't know you. So who are you... MERlin!? And what is this place?!”  
Merlin looked at the guard, then at Arthur and said something to the man in black, who nodded and stepped aside so both men could walk out of the cell.  
“Is he letting me go? Where are we? Where are you taking me?”, the prince continued bombing Merlin with questions and was being dragged after him by the arm.  
“I bailed you out, you don't have to stay in here. I paid for you to get out, you know? So don't worry... and follow me, don't do anything stupid, Arthur, will you?”  
“You can't talk to me like that, I'm the prince of Camelot and I demand you to show respect!”  
Merlin snorted, “Yeah, as if I ever gave you that!”  
“MERlin!”  
When they were outside of the building, Merlin stopped and turned around to look at him, surprise in his eyes. “Wait... prince? Did you say 'prince'?”  
Arthur stared at him, so this person pretended to know him, but at the same time didn't.  
“Yes, I'm the prince so be respectful!”, the blonde demanded again, crossing his arms in front of his chest.  
Merlin watched him and then pointed at himself, “You are the prince and you don't know me?!”  
Arthur nodded. He felt as if he had missed something important. “Yes and the last thing I can remember is I was training with the knights and then some strange thunder happened and lightning struck and then I was here... in this weird place!”  
“Knights? Training? Lightning? You... wait... you are not...! God... NO!”, Merlin exclaimed and ran a hand through his hair, he was clearly frustrated.  
“What?”, Arthur asked, not following his trail of thoughts.  
“You are not... you travelled through time, that must have been it! Shit! Now what...?”, the man looked defeated and leaned against the wall of the white building behind them.  
“What? Travelled... what are you even talking about?”  
“Arthur... this is the future!”, Merlin explained, “Somehow... you ended up in the fucking FUTURE!”  
Arthur blinked and it took him a minute to understand. “What do you MEAN? Future?!”  
“This...”, Merlin waved around, “Is England... in the 21st century... and...” He looked at him sadly, “You seem... to be from... before we met”  
“So... I'm supposed to know you?”  
Merlin nodded, “But not yet... it seems... though... now that you did... here” He flopped his head back against the wall, “I dunno how this will change everything? The way we met... who you are to be and who I am to be...”  
Merlin smiled sadly at him, “Alright... whatever happens here... you can never... NEVER tell my past self about, do you understand?”  
Arthur backed off a little, as Merlin leaned forward again into his personal space, “What?”  
“Promise me, Arthur... It's very important! Because... I can't remember you ever telling me about all this, so... don't! When you get back, never mention this... world, to anyone! NO one can ever know, Arthur!”  
The blonde stared at him and nodded, not really knowing what he was agreeing to even.  
“So... you know how I can get back?”  
Merlin shrugged, “Not yet, but I'm sure we can figure something out... for now, you are coming to my place”


	2. Chapter 2

“These are your chambers?”, Arthur asked, looking around in the place Merlin called his own.  
They had entered another one of these ridiculous huge buildings and gone up what felt like at least 500 steps.  
“Yes”, the dark haired man answered and took off his coat, placing it over a nearby chair. Then he walked up to Arthur and started working on his armour.  
“You know how this works?”, the prince asked a little unbelieving.   
He didn't quite trust this man yet. Merlin simply nodded, “It's been a while, I must admit, but I've done it a thousand times, my hands will probably never forget...”  
Arthur wondered what he meant by that and if only to make conversation, he asked him: “Have you served a knight before then?”  
Merlin chuckled, “Before you? No. You're the only one I've ever truly served...”  
That comment confused the blonde even more and he turned around to see Merlin's expression falter a bit. He looked a little sad and lost in thoughts – memories maybe?  
“You said we knew each other... well, we'll get to know each other... then why are you here?”  
Merlin stopped in what he was doing and looked up, meeting Arthur's intense gaze. There was silence.  
“It doesn't matter. You'll see”, Merlin said all but shrugging.  
“I don't understand...”, Arthur admitted, “You said we knew each other but also that THIS is the future... How's that even possible?”  
“I cannot tell you, Arthur!”, Merlin said, quietly, but serious.  
“And why is that?”, the prince became impatient. He hated to be left out of things and when this Merlin-person was the only one who knew what was going on here, he had to tell him.  
“It's too soon!”, Merlin replied simply, fixing Arthur with a hard stare, “You just have to trust me, Arthur. You will soon understand, I'm sure”  
Arthur wasn't. He shook his head in disbelieve and wondered if he would even get back to Camelot where he was seemingly supposed to meet Merlin in the first place – and not here.  
“Trust me, Arthur”, he said again, taking a step into the prince's personal space.  
“How, Merlin? I don't even know you”  
Merlin nodded, “I know, but you will”  
Arthur eyed him up, “Who are you, Merlin? Back then, I mean... in my future... your past? To me?”  
Merlin stilled at that question and took a step back again, looking away.  
He gripped his own arm and pressed his lips into a thin line.  
“Merlin?”  
“I'm your... servant, I can't tell you more, Arthur. We don't know what it could do! What would change!”  
Arthur took in his every expression and reaction. The other man looked pained, as if the memories were too much, almost hurting him.  
“Don't ask about the past, Arthur. It's... your future... I... I cannot tell you... nobody should ever know about one's future”, he was on the brink of tears and Arthur just stared.  
He had seen men cry, but not many. He could probably count the times on both his hands and never had anyone ever looked like this – this broken, this hurt.  
Arthur didn't know what he was supposed to do or say and turned his eyes away from him.  
“I'm sorry”, he said, “I won't ask again... for now”  
Merlin shook his head. “It's fine... I'm sorry, it's not your fault... I know how it must feel for you. It can't be easy”, he said, sniffling and smiled at him a bit sad.  
“It's not – I don't even know what anyone's saying here except for you”  
Merlin stared, blinked and chuckled, “Oh, of course. I'm sorry”  
Before Arthur could say anything else, Merlin had walked out of the room and closed the door behind himself, leaving Arthur alone with nothing more than the words: “I'll be right back. Wait here!”

Now he was alone. The prince gaped at the closing door and he sighed. He looked around curiously, his eyes drifting over the smooth surfaces of the cupboards and shelves at the walls.   
“What a strange place”, he muttered to himself, walking to the table right behind himself and touched the wooden tabletop.  
It was a bit warm from the sun beams, that were coming in through the huge and bright windows right behind it. Dust was dancing in the light and Arthur looked up, seeing some kind of soft bench to his right. Between the bench and the table was a pot with plants and behind Arthur, right at the wall were tons of books in two high wooden bookshelves.  
It wasn't much later that Merlin came back, a grin on his face.  
“I've got something for you”, he said, offering him a little glass filled with a dark black liquid. Arthur looked at it sceptically.  
“Drink it”, Merlin said.  
The prince took it, but only eyed it suspiciously.  
“Come on. Trust me”  
“Why?”, Arthur asked, “I mean, why should I drink it? What does it do?”  
Merlin sighed and smiled, “You'll know this land's language and understand it, speak it, write it and read it”  
“How?”, Arthur stared at the drink, “Magic?”  
Merlin snorted, “Yeah, right. Arthur, remember where you are!! And one thing you need to know about this world is: There's no magic. It doesn't exist anymore! And... this is the future, so drink up”  
Arthur's eyes went wide. He couldn't believe it. No magic? How was that possible? Had his father succeeded?  
“So? Will you drink it?”, Merlin looked at him expectantly.  
“Hmph”, Arthur groaned and drank it.   
It actually tasted quite nice. Never before had he tasted anything like it. It was sweet and somehow bubbly in his mouth, giving his throat a funny feeling.  
Merlin smiled at him.   
“You need different clothes”, he stated and nodded towards a door to Arthur's left.  
The prince followed the other man inside the room, that turned out to be a bedroom. Merlin opened a closet and threw a red shirt into Arthur's face, then a pair of blue trousers, which were followed by a black jacket.  
“There...”, he said, but Arthur looked at him a little puzzled, raising his brows at the clothes. “Oh, come on”, he snorted and shook his head. “Let me help you, Sire”   
Merlin smirked and finished taking off the armour, put away the chain mail, Arthur had slipped out of, and then started working on the laces of his linen shirt.  
“Just take this one off and slip into the one I gave you... trousers are already unzipped, you only need to pull the zip up”, Merlin explained the weird clothes, while showing how they worked. “You can do it alone”, he added and left Arthur in the bedroom to his own device.  
The blonde shook his hair a little irritated but did as told.  
Minutes later he opened the door and stepped outside, demanding Merlin's attention who was sitting on a chair in front of a colourful shining object, which Arthur would soon learn to be a computer.  
Arthur coughed once, so Merlin had to turn around and look at him. He shook his head disapprovingly.   
“You couldn't do it? Just zip it”, he said, making an upward hand gesture.  
Arthur just stood there, feeling slightly humiliated. “You do it”, he demanded.  
Merlin sighed, got up and walked up to him. He moved his fingers to Arthur's crotch and pulled up the tiny metallic thing dangling at the bottom, the zipper. Arthur tensed a bit and once Merlin was done, the dark haired man stepped away, running a hand through his hair and sighed.   
“That's done. Remember how to do it”  
Arthur simply nodded and looked away. He still had so many questions, but he didn't even know where to begin.  
For a moment he just stood there, lost in thoughts, before he opened his mouth and asked: “How did you even find me?”

Merlin froze. He turned around from where he was gesturing at the table, wanting the blonde to sit down, to look at Arthur, who obeyed, but kept his eyes straight at Merlin, watching him.  
“I just knew”, he stated, shrugging it off.  
This wasn't an answer, so Arthur kept staring at him.  
“It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I DID find you and you are safe here with me and we'll find a way to send you back, somehow”  
Arthur just snorted at him, “Yeah, right”  
Merlin turned around to a cupboard and took out some plates and knives, placing them on the table and nodded, “I bet you are hungry”  
Arthur scoffed at him, getting up from where he was sitting and grabbed Merlin by the collar of his white button down shirt, coming close enough he could feel the man's breath on his skin.  
“Don't joke around, Merlin! I need answers!”  
Merlin swallowed hard under the sheer pressure of Arthur's stare. “You may think you know me, but that me is not me so don't underestimate me!”  
“Yeah, I know that. You are nothing alike”, Merlin snorted, “Except in looks. You are the you before me, after all”  
“So you better take me seriously, Merlin”, Arthur demanded darkly.   
“Oh, I do, Arthur. I do – I always did”, Merlin growled, batting Arthur's hands away, “And I know fairly well that this is not the Arthur I know, so don't think I'm treating you like him, because I'm not!”  
“Then what is all this?”  
“I don't know what you are talking about!”, Merlin looked at him a little confused.  
“Why did you bring me here?”  
“I didn't...!”  
“Oh? And you honestly think I'd believe that?”  
“Yes”, Merlin said seriously.  
“Well, then you are wrong! I don't! There are too many coincidences happening here at once! And you happen to be at the right time in the right place”, Arthur groaned.  
“Yes – coincidences...”  
“AS IF!”, Arthur bellowed, shoving Merlin against the wall behind him.  
“They are! Yes, I admit – I wished for nothing more than you to return to me but that's all it was! A WISH – A DREAM!”  
He seemed almost desperate, close to tears – again. Arthur didn't know what to make of it – of this man.   
“I know I'm supposed to be patient! To wait for your return, but sometimes it's just too hard, Arthur! I've been waiting for so long and then... I knew you came – you were suddenly here! You've got NO idea how happy I was and then it wasn't real – it wasn't you after all… it was just... I dunno, some spell gone wrong? I dunno, but it wasn't me! I wouldn't do that! I wouldn't... want that! You are not you and it makes me realise just how much I really miss you and now that you are here, but aren't -. it fucking hurts!”  
Arthur kept staring at the desperate man in front of him, tears running down his cheeks.  
What was he supposed to do now? Watch him fall apart? He swallowed hard, but before he could say or do anything, Merlin had sobered up and made his way to the front door.  
“Just... I'm sorry. Forget what I said... I'll be off to work now... do what you want”  
That said he grabbed his coat and left.  
Arthur was alone, for how long he didn't know then.

*

Since Arthur really had no idea about this weird world, nor did anyone know what he was saying, he stayed inside and worked out. After a while he got bored though and frustrated that the space in these rooms were limited. Thus he started looking around the 'flat' and soon found another room which consisted off only white it seemed. He touched the metallic rod on top of the thing that vaguely reminded him of a sink of the castle kitchens. Suddenly water splashed out and he realised it must have been something like a water pump. He drank and refreshed himself, looking around some more.  
When Merlin returned later that day, it was already dark and Arthur had crawled into Merlin's bed, a little confused about everything. This place surely was a wonder and he might even have been a little scared, not that he'd ever have admitted that.  
He hid under the soft sheets of Merlin's bed and waited for the other man to come back. Merlin opened the door to the bedroom after a while. Arthur had heard the front door opening and shutting again, footsteps and then some light shining through under the bedroom door.  
He turned on the light and was about to throw his scarf onto the bed, when he saw Arthur and their eyes met.  
“You are still here”, he said a little startled, his voice emotionless.  
“What did you expect? Did you think I'd run off?”, Arthur growled.  
“No... yes... maybe”, Merlin sighed, running a hand through his dark curly hair.  
He looked exhausted.  
“Look, if you want me to leave, I'll go!”, Arthur spat, throwing off the duvet and jumped up.  
“No!”, Merlin exclaimed, raising his hands, “No... stay! I'm just... it's just... I didn't expect you'd want to stay here... after all that”  
He made wild hand gestures and Arthur just stared at him confused.  
“So... you had a little freak out and it might be your fault I'm stuck here, but you are the only one that knows me here, so -”  
“No, Arthur... that's not what I meant”, Merlin interrupted him and looked up at him, meeting his eyes.  
“Then what did you mean?”, Arthur asked a little dumbfounded.  
“Well... you and me and... my past?”  
Arthur didn't understand. He rose his brows expectantly, “Yeah?”  
“Uhm... you are not... creeped out? Er... disgusted... or anything like it?”  
Arthur kept staring, “No? Why? Should I be?”  
Merlin heaved a sigh and shook his head, “Of course not. This is you and not you and... well what my Arthur did has nothing to do with you”  
“Of course it doesn't... why? What did he do? Something bad?”  
Merlin shook his head laughing and sat down on the bed, Arthur next to him. “No... of course not... well, sometimes he did do stuff... I didn't like, but... it wasn't my place to judge him...”  
Arthur watched Merlin talk. He seemed to be in need of that, to simply talk about Arthur – him.  
All he cold do was listening though.  
“He was a prat... but a man of honour at the same time...”  
“Am I dead... I mean, is he?”  
Merlin turned around to look at him, “What do you think? It's been centuries...”  
“And yet you are here”  
“Yes... I am here”, Merlin's smile faded and he stared at an invisible spot on the floor. “Yeah... I'm here”  
“How?”, Arthur wanted to know – desperately. He needed to know.  
“I'd call it a curse”, Merlin answered and got to his feet, “There's no other name for it”  
Arthur looked after him as he went back into the other room and only called for him some time later.  
They ate and neither of them mentioned the 'curse' or 'the other Arthur' again.


	3. Chapter 3

Time went by and Arthur learned his way around the new world and one month passed and a second. In his third Arthur got a job delivering pizza, work Merlin had found for him, offered by a friend of his.  
The black haired man himself was working as a writer of something called fantasy novels and was a teacher for creative writing at a local university.  
They got on and Arthur soon saw the pros and cons of this world he was now living in.

However, every minute, every second that passed in this world was another minute wasted on Camelot and the land he was supposed to lead and create.  
Thus, one day he woke up from the couch he had been sleeping on for weeks now, and stormed into Merlin's bedroom shouting: “I am stuck here for months now. When do you think you'll do something?”  
Merlin's eyes shot open and he looked at Arthur a little dizzy from sleep still.  
“I... what? Arthur, it's 4 in the morning”  
“I don't care what time it is, Merlin! I'm a prince, I have duties – I NEED to go back and rule my lands, I thought you knew that”  
Merlin sat up, rubbing his eyes, “I do, Arthur, but it's not that easy”  
“When are you going to do something about it?”, he asked again.   
He was scared, so afraid of never coming back to where he belonged.  
“I already am, Arthur. I'm trying! But it's taking its time. Please calm down. You don't do us any good with shouting”  
Arthur sighed frustrated and slammed the door shut, stomping back to his make-shift bed and slumped down onto it, groaning annoyed. He heard the door to Merlin's room open and his bare feet tapping over the cold floor. Merlin stopped at the couch and sat down next to him, careful to keep enough distance that they wouldn't touch.  
“Arthur, I'm sorry. I wish it would be easier for you. I know it's not, but I'm trying my best”, he gave him a reassuring smile and gingerly touched his knee trying to give comfort.  
“I have to apologize. It's just that I feel trapped. I don't belong here, Merlin”, Arthur said, looking at the other man.  
“I know and I promised you I will bring you back and I will”  
Arthur nodded silently, dropping his head a bit.  
“Now... how about some breakfast? I don't expect you to fall asleep after all this now”, Merlin said trying to lighten up the mood a bit.  
“Yeah”, Arthur mumbled and followed Merlin into the kitchen.  
He wondered if he would even be the same person once he did get back or would he have changed too much? Would he be trapped in between these two worlds for ever once all this was over, not belonging to either one of them? Would he be able to lead his men the same way as before? He wasn't sure about any of that anymore.   
Arthur watched Merlin prepare coffee and toasts, dressed in his loose pyjama bottoms and t-shirt. His feet were bare and his hair tousled. A warm feeling sank into Arthur's stomach at the picture and as he realised how familiar all this had become to him he had to smile. Merlin turned around a bit and their eyes met, the dark haired man's lips forming a smile as well.  
“What are you smiling for?”  
Arthur blushed and quickly looked away, “Nothing... coffee scent”  
Merlin laughed and shoved him two cups and spoons into his hands, “There, set the table, would you?”  
The blonde nodded. At some point he had gotten used to being ordered around by this man and he didn't even mind. 

“My new book is coming out tonight”, Merlin said, drinking his coffee, while they both sat at the dinner table around 5 in the morning. “I have to go and present it – press and all that stuff. Do you wanna come along or stay here?”  
Arthur looked up at him and nodded, “Sure, why not”  
Merlin smiled again and took another sip.  
A wave of fondness came over the blonde seeing Merlin's happy face and he had to look away. He shouldn't get too used to this world or any person in it.

In the evening they both dressed up in a suit, Arthur wearing an old one of Merlin's that might have been a bit tight around his muscular shoulders but neither of them minded.  
“Come here”, Merlin said once he had tied his own bowtie.  
Arthur stood in front of him who swiftly slipped a long black tie around his neck and started binding it at the front, “It's something pretty official, you know. So we both have to look our best”  
Arthur hadn't even asked for an explanation and watched Merlin being fully concentrated on the task at hand, his lips pressed into a thin line.  
His eyes were a shining blue and his hair ruffled on purpose.  
Lately, Arthur found himself wondering more and more often if he would ever get back home again and if it were actually all that bad if he were to stay here forever. What would it be like to be with Merlin? There was starting to be something clenching in his chest when he thought about his own possible departure but he didn't know why that was.  
His outburst this morning had actually resulted from his frustration and the pure fact that he didn't know what to think or feel anymore.

They entered an old tall building. Inside, people were buzzing around, women in long fancy gowns, men in suits were chatting and laughing.   
The hall had a high ceiling and crystalline chandeliers were watching from above, sparkling and throwing rainbow coloured patterns on the marble floor and people underneath. Warm yellow light was flooding in through sideway alleys and made Arthur's mouth hang wide open in awe. The blonde prince had to look over at Merlin who quickly went into greeting what seemed to Arthur as pretty much everyone in the room. He shook hands, nodded and went on, waving and smiling throughout the whole time. Arthur couldn't quiet believe that this whole event was being held for Merlin and he gaped at how the young man was being treated. More hands were shaken, hugs exchanged and congratulations given. Arthur followed Merlin obediently, always keeping a short distance behind, watching in silence.   
“Michael!”, a young blond man came up to Merlin then, meeting him in a long embrace, “This is amazing!”  
“Thank you, Jim”, Merlin said and smiled at the man.  
Arthur raised an eyebrow, even though he knew exactly that in this world Merlin's name wasn't 'Merlin' but 'Michael Campbell' but he rarely heard anyone calling him that so it seemed still a bit odd to him.  
“I can't wait to read your new book”, Jim went on, all smiles and fleeting touches with the dark haired man.  
“Thank you. There will be some unexpected plot twists in this volume though. I'm not sure it will be all that well received”  
Arthur didn't know much about the novels Merlin was writing. When he had asked him to tell him about it, Merlin had mentioned magic and that alone had put Arthur off enough to never taking the time to actually read any of the books.   
“I'll be looking forward to it then”, Jim said, brushing Merlin's arm with his hand way too familiar.  
Arthur coughed and stepped forward, bumping shoulders with Merlin.  
“Hello”, he said, holding out his hand towards the other blonde in front of him, “Who are you again?”  
Merlin looked around at Arthur, surprised that he had suddenly decided to talk. He simply smiled at him, patting his shoulder, which made Arthur feel a bit patronized and he didn't like it.  
“Oh, right, Jim. This is Arthur. And as you already may have guessed this is my friend Jim. He's an actor”  
“Nice to meet you”, Jim said, his eyes looking Arthur up and down. “Arthur, right?”, he mumbled under his breath.  
“Yes”, the prince replied, feeling a little offended by the other guy's attitude.  
“Could it... Don't tell me, he's the one that stood model for 'Arthur'?”   
Merlin's cheeks unmistakeably flushed a deep pink and he quickly shook his head, “Of COURSE not!”  
“Well,...”, Jim went on, but Arthur interrupted him.  
“What do you mean?”  
“The books obviously”, Jim said chuckling, “Didn't you read them?”  
“What?... Uhm... no, I...”, Arthur was a little lost for words and felt utterly humiliated. “I don't like stories and tales”, he tried to explain.  
“Who is this even?”  
Merlin gave Jim a disapproving look, “He's my friend, don't talk down on him”  
Merlin was protecting Arthur – him! The PRINCE of Camelot!”  
“If you've got a problem with me, you talk to ME, Jim!”, Arthur warned, “I don't need Merlin to-”  
Jim laughed, “'Merlin'?” He chuckled some more, “Seriously? So you read the books after all, huh? Calling Michael Merlin... you are funny”  
Arthur stared back, “What?” then it dawned on him, “Oh... I... sorry”, he whispered towards Merlin.  
This was one of those many things he still didn't understand. If Merlin called himself Merlin, but everyone else called him Michael which one WAS his real name and why did he bother using TWO anyway? Even Merlin's explanations of time and changes of identity and the curse hadn't helped Arthur to grip the meaning behind it. The curse – that weird thing that kept standing between them.  
He shook his head and looked at Jim again.   
“It doesn't really matter, Jim”, Merlin said smiling, touching the other man's arm way too intimate than what seemed required under the circumstances and Arthur didn't like it.  
He glared at Jim and with a growling scoff and a disapproving face he made his way over to the buffet tables. It was obvious even to him that the two men had things to talk about that he didn't know anything about anyway.

Arthur ate some mini rolls with cheese but his eyes kept going back to Merlin and Jim. Jim was a blond well built man, muscular and had broad shoulders with all smiling white and perfect teeth, blue eyes and honestly, could have been Arthur's evil twin brother, now that he got a better look at him. Arthur bit into a cupcake then and almost choked in it, when he saw Jim leaning into Merlin's personal space, whispering something into the dark haired man's ear, making Merlin flustered and giggly.  
Then Merlin saw Arthur and their eyes met. He looked back at Jim, shaking his head gently.  
Arthur turned away and kept eating. Who did that fellow think he was?  
“Are you enjoying yourself?”, someone suddenly asked, Arthur saw himself faced with a beautiful young woman, red haired, and smiling at him.  
“The food is good”, the prince said shrugging, glancing back at Merlin who was still engaged in a suspicious whispering conversation with that other blond guy.  
“The company isn't?”, the redhead inquired, moving a little closer.  
“Not really”, Arthur snorted, too concentrated on what was going on with Merlin than around himself.  
“Oh, really?”, the woman went on and then her eyes followed Arthur's.  
“That's the man of honour”, she said thoughtfully, “you can't really believe someone that young being that successful”  
Arthur just mumbled something which could have been an agreement.  
“And Jim Geller... you see them together quiet often. Only lately it seems they don't hang out as much anymore. There are rumours they might have had a fought, but seeing them here, everything looks fine to me”, she said, nodding towards the pair.  
“Often? It's the first time I've seen that guy let alone them together”  
“Oh? Well, they tried to be subtle about their relationship, I guess, but I think it's more than obvious with those two what's going on behind closed doors”, she chuckled, “And furthermore, I wouldn't be surprised if Jim got cast when Michael's novel series gets made into a movie these days”  
Arthur didn't say anything to that.  
The concept of movies and films was still foreign to him, the same went for computers or cars. It was all magic in his eyes and he didn't bother trying to understand it all.  
“Jim would be the perfect 'Prince Arthur', I must confess and funny enough how similar Michael looks to his descriptions of 'Merlin'”, she said.  
Arthur's eyes widened, “What?”  
“What?”, she seemed surprised, “Didn't you read the headlines? Jim and Michael – the real Merlin and Arthur?”  
Arthur let his glass of bubbly alcohol crash to the floor, his eyes narrowing in anger, “NO! THAT idiot is NOT Arthur!”

Everyone stared at him all of a sudden. Arthur didn't care and Merlin came rushing over to him.  
“I am Prince Arthur and not some WANNA-be blondie!”, he shouted, before Merlin could grab him by the arm and pull him close to himself, telling him in a whisper to calm down.  
“Arthur, stop that! It's just a book, nothing to get upset about!”  
“Of course it is! YOU said you would wait for me and then you go and find a replacement!? Great! Really!”  
Arthur didn't realise when it hit him, or better, when Merlin's hand hit him. The dark haired man slapped the blonde right across his cheek, glaring at him.  
“You... have no right to say that, OR to judge me!”, Merlin all but hissed. Jim stared at them both after he had walked up to them too just to take a step back again, looking around warily.  
“You don't even know what you are talking about”, Merlin went on, concious of all the eyes being on them, “You are drunk. Get your shit together and come with me”  
He grabbed Arthur by the arm once more and manhandled him to the nearest restroom, apologizing to everyone crossing their way, explaining his friend had had too much to drink.  
Arthur knew very well that that wasn't the truth and tried pushing Merlin off.  
“I'm not drunk! I-”  
“Arthur!”, Merlin interrupted him, pushing the blonde against one of the bathroom stall's doors. Thankfully no one was inside at that time and they were alone in the room. “ENOUGH! You are... making me crazy and don't you get it? No ONE can know OR would EVER believe that we are the REAL deal, do you get that!?”  
“Wha...?”, Arthur tried confused.  
“I wrote my books loosely based on what really happened, alright? That's why I cannot show them to you and that's why no one can know it actually IS me... US”  
Arthur stared at him, blinking, “But didn't you say it was about magic?”  
Merlin sighed, “Yes... to keep you away from them, obviously... and because it's true too...”  
Arthur looked at him.   
“Don't you remember all the magic in and around Camelot? All the things that happened to us... oh, no, maybe you don't... because it has yet to to happen”, Merlin spat, “hence you cannot KNOW nor read it!”  
The blond prince was still irritated, “Uhm... and what about this Jim guy?”  
“Oh, him... that doesn't matter either. It's none of your business”  
Even though Arthur was pissed off and angry at the answers he got, he knew Merlin was right. He took a deep breath looking sideways, “Sorry”  
Merlin sighed and leant against the sinks, looking at the white marble floor at his own reflection, “I'm sorry, too... I... shouldn't have slapped you”  
Arthur simply nodded, “It was a girly hit anyway... didn't hurt”  
Merlin glared up at him.  
“You are friends with Jim and yet I've never seen him around before”, he then said, not meeting Merlin's eyes.  
“What are you getting so upset about? It's no big deal, I just didn't want him around when you were...”, Merlin groaned, a little annoyed.  
“Why? I thought it was none of my business”  
“It isn't, but... he might have... he's not stupid, Arthur and I think neither are you... I actually forgot that he would come today, or I would have left you at home”, he ran a hand through his hair and turned around, splashing his face with water, trying to calm his own nerves.  
“Why? Is... is it about what he said? Is this about... me? No... not me... the other Arthur?”  
Merlin stilled and closed his eyes for a moment, “Yes” He didn't dare to face the blonde, “Kind of... look! He's not my 'friend' okay?So leave it, alright? I don't wanna talk about this anymore”  
That said, Merlin left the restroom and Arthur followed him minutes later, keeping his distance again.

He knew Merlin had to be here and do his job, so he decided to simply leave and head home early.  
Arthur even got around to get his coat back but got held up by the red haired woman from before again.  
“Hey”, she greeted him, “Heading home already? Was a little embarrassing before, huh?”  
Arthur tried to ignore her and threw his coat on.  
“Must be pissing you quiet off to see your boyfriend with his ex, huh? Or is it that you are the ex?”  
Arthur turned around to her and looked her up and down, growling: “I dunno what your problem is but firstly: I dunno how any of that is of your concern and secondly I have no idea what you are even on about. So excuse me but I'm on my way out”  
She simply smiled at him, “Well, which one are you? The new guy or the old one?”  
Arthur stared at her, buttoning up his coat, “I'm not sure what you mean by that, but my answer would be, I guess, both”  
“Oh? So you and Michael broke up and now are back together again?”  
“Something like that I guess?!”, Arthur sighed and shook his head, “I dunno, don't ask me, Merlin... I mean, Michael doesn't tell me much...”  
She blinked at him, “But you are dating, aren't you?”  
Why was that person so nosy? And what did she mean by dating? This time it was his turn to blink at her, “Excuse me? Who? Who's dating who?”  
It had taken Arthur about two movies and an awful lot of explaining by Merlin until he had been able to grasp the basic concepts of modern courtship.  
“You and Michael”, she said matter of factly.  
Arthur stared, then laughed and snorted, “Yeah, sure... haha. He's a guy, you know that, right?”  
The redhead frowned, “So? He's been dating Jim for quiet a while now, everyone knows that, but after their break up about 3 months ago. I thought-”  
Arthur held up his hands, “One moment. You are saying... Mer... erm... Michael and this... Jim person have been... in this kind of... relationship?”  
She nodded, “What? Are you some kind of homophobe or what?”  
“I have no idea what it means, but I don't like the sound of it”, Arthur glared at her.  
The woman gently shook her head, “Oh, you poor soul”  
He didn't get her – not at all.  
She sighed and touched his arm, “Just where did you grow up? What did your parents teach you?”  
“My mother died giving birth to me and my father is a great ki... man”, Arthur said with a serious face.  
“I'm sorry”, she said, giving him a supportive smile, “about your mother... but if your father is a great man then shouldn't you know better?”  
He blinked, “I do get that... some men prefer to share their bed with other men, because it's... well, saver and less emotional than with a woman, at least so I heard some knights say, but in the matters of the heart... aren't you supposed to marry a woman and produce an heir?”  
“No, Arthur... love does not follow rules. It can be found anywhere, all the time, no matter where or who you are”  
Arthur stared at her, brows furrowed, “But...”  
“Two men, two women, a man and a woman, love doesn't know any boundaries. Have you never felt anything like it before? Have you never been in love? You should listen to your heart”  
“My heart?”  
“Yes, your heart. And I think it's clear as daylight who your heart belongs to”, she smiled at him, slipped into her coat and left before he could even say anything.  
The blonde looked after the woman, silently. Then he left as well. There were so many things on his mind now he didn't know where to put them.


	4. Chapter 4

Long past midnight, somewhere close to sunrise, Merlin came home. Arthur stirred a little but didn't let on that he was awake. He hadn't been able to sleep at all after the conversation with that woman,, still thinking about everything she had said.  
He heard Merlin shutting the front door and taking off his shoes, the rustle of clothes and footsteps moving through the living room.  
Arthur kept his eyes shut pretending to sleep. He listened to Merlin's movements and then the feet stopped. There was a moment of silence before they started again and were coming closer to the couch Arthur was sleeping on.  
There they stopped again, right next to the sofa, so close the blonde could hear the other man's breath. Then there was the rustle of fabrics once again and Merlin was bending down to him. At first Arthur didn't know what was going on. He was simply lying there on his back – and the next thing he knew was Merlin pressing his lips to Arthur's. As fast as the kiss had happened as fast it was over and Merlin on his feet again.  
“I'm sorry”, he whispered, “I wish I could tell you everything... I wish you really had come back...”  
That said he left the living room. Arthur heard the door click shut and was alone in the dark again – only now he was much more confused than before.  
What had Merlin meant by that? What was he keeping from him? Just what was going on?  
All night he wondered why Merlin had kissed him and even the next morning, when they were sitting across from each other at the kitchen table, Merlin didn't let anything on, nor did Arthur ask him about the night before.  
Instead he kept asking himself whether Merlin had kissed him because of their shared past and future or because of the present.

Merlin was drinking coffee, when Arthur finally decided to get at least one question out of his system: “Is it true that two guys can be a couple here – like a man and a woman? Romantically, I mean?”  
Merlin almost spilled his drink, swallowed it quickly and coughed. “What?”, he said confused.  
“Well...I heard some rumours... about you and that Jim person”  
Merlin just stared and put the mug down, “Well...”  
“Is it true? Are you involved with him? I mean, it's not really any of my business but you could have at least told me”  
Merlin shook his head, “No... and yes”  
He smiled sadly.  
“We... once, well, it's in the past. It was just some fun. I... never get serious with anyone...”  
Arthur looked at him, furrowing his brows, “Just some fun?”  
“Yes, Arthur and you are right, it is none of your business, so leave it alright?”  
He stood angrily and walked out of the kitchen, throwing the door shut behind himself.  
Arthur was really irritated at his reaction and at the same time he got the feeling he had hit a nerve and was starting to put the puzzle together. He finished his breakfast alone, hanging in thoughts about Merlin.

They didn't talk about that incident again and another month passed quietly.  
However, Arthur couldn't help wondering about his past self that was his present self's future and Merlin and what their relationship had been like.  
Could it be that they had been in this kind of romantic affair the woman at the festivity had tried to explain to him? Was that the reason Merlin had been with Jim who was so much like Arthur but in the end nothing alike?   
Arthur was cleaning the dishes, a meaningless task he had learnt was common sense to do staying here with Merlin even though he was the prince of Camelot, when Merlin came back from yet another meeting with his editor.  
He seemed a bit tired and exhausted and sat down at the kitchen table, lost in thoughts.   
As far as Arthur knew, Merlin's new book had received many critics and reviews, from positive to negative.  
“Another bad one?”, Arthur asked, not looking at him.  
“Mh”, Merlin nodded, leaning back in the chair and looking at the ceiling. A fly was running over the lamp.  
“What this time?”  
“They said it were incorrect for the setting, it didn't fit the storyline or time line”  
“It's your story isn't it? Why do they get to have a say in it?”, the blonde wondered.  
“Exactly AND furthermore it is the TRUTH!”, Merlin threw his arms above his head and exhaled loudly, “It's MY own biography, surely I would know what happened”  
Arthur nodded, finally turning to face his friend, if he could even call him that.  
“I want to read it”, he said out of the blue.  
Merlin stared at him, “You can't”  
There was no place for discussion here.  
“I want to know more about you”, Arthur tried to reason.  
“And you can't, Arthur... you already know too much”, Merlin smiled sadly at him.  
Arthur walked over to the table and sat down on top of it, making a face at Merlin, “Please”  
“No, I'm sorry”  
Once, Arthur had gone to a close book store and even though he had promised Merlin he wouldn't read any of his works about them he took one of his new novels from the shelf, opened it and started to read. Only that he couldn't read it. The words wouldn't form any meaning. It was as if a spell had been set upon those pages. He simply couldn't read Merlin's books no matter how much he had tried.

“Merlin, please”, Arthur said again, placing his hand on top of Merlin's, meeting his eyes.  
He could feel his own pulse raising and also Merlin's.  
“It wouldn't do you any good, Arthur. No one can know their own future. It might change everything”  
Arthur caressed Merlin's fingers with his own and stroked his hand, “Just a bit?”  
“N... no”, Merlin said, his voice staggering just a bit.  
“Just a few lines... read some to me?”, he asked, slipping his fingers under the long sleeve of Merlin's dark red shirt.  
Merlin's cheeks flushed a bit red and he pulled his hand away, “No”  
He got up and stormed out, Arthur looked after him, sighing.  
It was weird even to him how right this felt. To be with Merlin, the rush of adrenaline that hit him everytime that other man was close and how much he wanted him to be even closer.  
He rubbed his hands over his face and threw his head back.  
This wasn't good. He had started to feel way too concious around Merlin, especially after everything he had heard and seen in this world.  
Maybe this land gave him the only chance he would ever have of freedom. He could do anything he wanted here, no one had expectations he could ruin and no one would tell him who to marry or who to be friends with.  
It was a first.  
And he would enjoy it.


	5. Chapter 5

The next couple of days Arthur was crowding into Merlin's space on purpose more and more often, not so accidentally touching his arm, his hands, brushing their shoulders together or ruffling his hair. It was obvious to the blonde that Merlin indeed was aware of Arthur.  
At some point he got too close when Merlin was handing him a mug and their fingers met making the dark haired man jump and loose his grip on the cup and it crashed soundly to the floor.  
He turned his eyes away, almost ashamed.  
Arthur furrowed his brows and coughed.  
“What's going on?”, the blonde asked, moving a step closer.  
“Nothing”, Merlin lied, backing away.  
“Do you have a problem with me?”  
Merlin finally met his eyes, “What?” He glared at him, “You must be joking. It's YOU who has a problem, not me”  
“I?”, Arthur asked raising his brows, “Why do you think that?”  
“Ever since you found out about my sexuality you've been teasing me and an ass about it”  
Arthur blinked at him. He didn't understand.  
“If you have such a problem with me liking men then just say it, instead of jokingly coming on to me”  
“Jokingly? I'm not joking”, Arthur was dumbstruck.  
“Oh please, don't give me that crap”, Merlin pushed him against the shoulder angrily.  
“No, actually I thought you liked me”, the blonde said honestly.  
“Wha-?”, Merlin stared at him, “Are you kidding me?”  
Arthur stared back. He really didn't understand Merlin sometimes. Most of the times to be honest.  
“So you don't?”, the blonde asked.  
Merlin's mouth opened and closed. He clenched his fists and bit down on his bottom lip. “Even if I did it's none of your concern”  
“Oh? I think it is, because it does concern me”, Arthur moved closer, forcing Merlin back against the wall.   
The younger man stumbled over the carpet that was folding slightly at the edge.  
“Because I like you”, Arthur said confidently.  
He had made up his mind. None of the things that happened here were to be brought back to Camelot, no one would ever know, if he didn't tell about it. And he wouldn't. This would be his one chance of freedom and he'd take it, seeing his coming to this world no longer as a curse but a gift. To experience a life where he wasn't a prince, where he wasn't the future king of Camelot.  
Merlin stared at him, eyes wide and open.  
There were so many emotions dancing in them Arthur wasn't quiet sure what to make of it.  
He seemed conflicted, as if he was fighting a battle within himself.  
“You are a prat”, Merlin whispered and looked away once again, “That's not fair”  
Arthur shook his head, “Life is never fair”  
“No, it's not...”, Merlin met his eyes again and Arthur could see his own reflection in them.  
“Can I kiss you?”, he asked then.  
The other man's features hardened, “You have no right to ask this”  
Arthur rose his brows, “Why not?”  
“You have absolutely NO right!”, Merlin sounded frustrated, almost desperate and there was so much hurt in his voice Arthur felt it stabbing into his own heart.  
“This is the WORST, Arthur! You have NO idea what you are ASKING for”, Merlin shoved the blonde off himself, pushing against his chest, “You don't know ANYthing about me!”  
“That's not true”, Arthur said, but it was a lie. Merlin was right. He really didn't know much about that man called Merlin. And yet he felt himself being drawn to him.  
“It is! You don't know who YOU are either, nor who you are going to BE”, Merlin went on, gripping hard into Arthur's shirt with his fists, “who you are going to be to me”  
“Were we lovers?”, Arthur asked then, quietly, afraid of something he couldn't name.  
Merlin looked up at him, “I told you already, you are not supposed to know about your own future”  
“But I know YOURS!”, Arthur shouted then, “I know you'll be here, because of some curse, stuck in another time without me, but apparently waiting for me to come back or something and that you'll be with other people, other men who are like me, but who are not me! And you will pretend they are me, because I am not here and I know you will be in misery and sad and all alone and it will be all my fault!”  
Merlin stared at him. His eyes became soft then and glassy. Tears started to well up in his blue orbs and slowly made their way down his cheeks. Arthur had hit right where it hurt.  
“Isn't that the truth? Isn't it that you actually want me?”  
“YES!”, Merlin screamed all of a sudden, “I want you, more than you can even imagine! But it's not THIS you, I want the future-you, the one who saved my lives without a second thought. The you who never questioned my loyalty to you or the kingdom, the you you will become because of me, with me, but you are turning into that you slowly, you are becoming more and more like him now, but I'm too scared, I'm afraid you will leave me and I will be alone once again, going through all these emotions, that fucking PAIN all over again, I don't think I'd be able to handle it, Arthur. I want you to stay but at the same time I need you to go back to Camelot so we can actually meet and have this future together. It doesn't make any sense, none of these things do and I'm asking myself every day why this had to happen? And why me, why am I the only one who gets hurt all the time?”  
Arthur didn't know what to say to all these confessions. It was more than obvious now, that Merlin thought of him as so much more than a friend, even more than love it seemed, something so pure and painful he had only ever heard of in song or tales. He had never thought this kind of love existed.  
“Merlin”, he said slowly, brushing his tears off gently, “I'm sorry you have to feel all this, but I can't change what happened, whether the things that happened here nor the things that are yet to happen to me in the future”  
“You will have to be a prat to me in the future... when we meet, for the first time”, Merlin said quietly, looking back at him, “I don't know you yet”  
“I know”, Arthur whispered, leaning in, kissing his forehead, “I know, Merlin. We will see, it will all turn out well”  
“It won't, you will leave me again, here and there, I know it”  
Arthur could feel Merlin's pain and he shook his head, “It's alright, you will see. Just wait, it will all turn out well” He tried to smile at him, “And I will wait for you, for you to meet me, for you to fall for me, no matter how long it will take, no matter how much it hurts to be with you then when you don't know what we had and will have”  
Merlin crooked a smile, chuckling slightly, “Isn't it confusing? How our lives are entwined in so many weird ways? Your future – my past, the present”  
“It all doesn't make any sense, I know, but I don't care. Right now all I want is you, Merlin. Please, you know my future, you know who I am and what will happen, let me have this short time of freedom with you?”  
Merlin nodded carefully, moving his hand down to Arthur's waist, “I know what you mean. It's never been that peaceful”  
Arthur nodded, “I can imagine”  
“We never had a chance like this”  
“I guessed as much”  
“You were the king after all”  
“I will be, yes”  
“You were married and it was just so different back then”  
“It is another time”  
Merlin looked at Arthur and smiled sadly, “I wish I had known back then”  
“What?”, Arthur was brushing Merlin's hair out of his eyes.  
“That you knew me...”  
“That I loved you from the start?”  
Merlin's eyes widened and his cheeks turned a bit pink, so did his ears “Is that it? I mean, are you sure?”  
“I think so”, Arthur said in all honesty, “I've never felt like this before”  
“That's nice”, Merlin smiled to himself.  
“I will make you fall in love with me too”, Arthur warned him with a grin, “Your past self”  
“I'm sure that won't be too hard”, Merlin promised, “It's destiny after all”  
Arthur looked at him a bit confused but let it go as he moved in and finally kissed Merlin for the first time properly.


	6. Chapter 6

It was all new to Arthur but not to Merlin, thus they decided to keep it slow. Obviously, Merlin didn't want to scare the future king of Camelot away so they stuck to kissing and cuddling for the time being.  
At night Arthur would find Merlin snuggled up to him in bed, arms wrapped around the blonde and breathing softly into his neck. It felt nice and familiar, Arthur didn't mind at all.  
However, after two weeks had passed he found he was afraid of getting too used to Merlin being around that he wouldn't be able to live alone any longer once he would have to go back to his own time. They spent all their free time together, went out on dates, saw movies – which where still a big mystery to Arthur – and pretty much lived in each other's pockets.  
Whenever they were walking outside Merlin took hold of Arthur's hand or entwined their fingers as if it were the most natural thing in the world.  
Somehow it was. In this world.  
“I think I'll never get used to it”, Arthur said one day, in the middle of their walk to the closest supermarket.  
“What do you mean?”, Merlin asked, his hand clasped with Arthur's, while looking out at the streets.  
“Well, all this”, Arthur looked around, “It's... weird, how people think so differently...”  
Merlin turned to face him then, “You think? Mh... times change, people change and culture does too”  
He shrugged it off as if it were nothing.  
“And yet I find it hard to believe what will become of the world I know”  
“I know what you mean, but we all change. I did too, you will see”  
Arthur watched him a bit surprised. They didn't talk about it, not much. As little as possible. They tried to ignore that they wouldn't be together forever or that Arthur would have to go back eventually. Only problem was, the longer Arthur stayed here the more reluctant he became to go back. He liked this world but most of all he liked Merlin. He didn't want to leave him. Especially not when he knew he would have to find him again.  
“I hope not in looks or I may never recognize you”, Arthur joked.  
“Not funny, Arthur Pendragon”, Merlin made a face then chuckled, “Though, no. I'll only be younger... and less wise”  
He stuck out his tongue.  
“Yeah, right. As if you were wise now”, Arthur snorted and got a bump to the shoulder from his boyfriend in retaliation.   
“Just be careful”, Merlin said then, playing with the zipper of Arthur's jacket, “alright? Don't say anything... inappropriate, I'm not supposed to know anything”  
The blonde nodded sighing, “I know I know, Merlin. It's fine, I know what to do”  
He gave him a supportive smile and then kissed his lips gently.  
“Since we are back on the topic already, did you find out anything? About me going back?”  
Merlin looked at him and shook his head, “No, sorry”  
Arthur craned his neck and exhaled a bit exhausted, “Oh well, gives me more time here with you”  
He winked at him and Merlin looked away a bit shy.

Another week passed and Merlin became a bit restless. One morning he watched Arthur while they were having breakfast and the blonde man was busy drinking his daily morning coffee. Something he would definitely miss back in Camelot.  
“What?”, Arthur asked, noticing Merlin's stare.  
“Don't you want me?”, the other asked holding his gaze.  
Arthur choked on his drink and spilled the hot liquid all over his fingers, “Shit... hot... wha- what did you say?”  
“Sorry, never mind”, Merlin turned around, got up and brought him a wet tissue to clean his hands, “Nothing”  
“No, wait”, the blonde followed Merlin who was already on his way out of the kitchen, “I said wait!”  
He gripped Merlin by the arm and stopped him from going on, then flipped him around, “What did you say?”  
“It's been weeks, Arthur. I mean, kissing and all is fine, but... don't you feel ANYthing?”, he bit down on his bottom lip, looking away. He seemed rather frustrated.  
“God”, Arthur felt his cheeks darken, becoming redder with every second of silence between them, “what... I mean... how can you say that so easily?”  
“Oh come on, we are both adults, Arthur”, Merlin scoffed and rose his brows.  
“Maybe... you are”, the blonde began and didn't dare meet Merlin's eyes, “I'm only... I've only seen 16 summers so far”  
Merlin blinked, then stared, his mouth gaping wide open.  
“What? Why are you... are you actually shocked? I thought you knew?!”  
“Of course not!”, Merlin exclaimed, “Oh my god, you are still a child!”  
He took a step back and looked at him in horror, “It... it hadn't even occurred to me...”  
“I'm not a child, I'm a grown man, but there are things I'm... not experienced in, my life was full of training and fighting, even council meetings but... love? Not really” He shrugged a bit embarrassed.  
“Right... you are... from BEFORE we met and... I was always YOUNGER than you so I never even thought about this... you are... a BABY in comparison to me!”  
At that Arthur did look up and glared back, “I'm not a baby nor am I a child, I'm a man, Merlin, don't make me look like a fool!”  
“I just... gosh, I'm sorry, I never thought about it that much and I just assumed... but you are right, this... I should have known”, Merlin shook his head in irritation.  
“Is that why you didn't want to...”, he then asked, looking at Arthur.  
The man nodded, or better the boy.  
“You are just a boy”, Merlin went on, throwing his arms in the air.  
“I'm not!”, Arthur tried to convince the other, following him as Merlin stomped into the living room.  
“A BOY! You probably can't even grow a beard yet!”  
Arthur furrowed his brows, “Of course I can, I just don't fancy having one”  
Merlin looked at him, sighed and let himself fall onto the couch.  
“Is it that bad? I'm not a child, Merlin. If I were a girl, I'd have been wed long ago”  
“I know, but... you know, you get used to certain things living in this time and age”  
Arthur looked down at him from where he was standing in front of Merlin.  
“Like the fact that adults are at least 18 years old, sure, the age of consent is 16 but still... I'm used to someone... experienced”, Merlin looked away a bit shyly.  
“Great, so it's actually a problem for you that I haven't shared my bed with anyone before?!”, Arthur was pissed off. Wasn't it supposed to be like that? Only sleeping with your betrothed one? Or at least with the one you love?  
“Sorry, I'm not like you, looking for a companion anywhere I go!”  
“That's not true!”, Merlin stood abruptly and clenched his fists.  
“So, are you denying you have slept with that Jim person?”  
“No, I'm just-”  
“See”, Arthur huffed, not letting Merlin finish, “Just because I wasn't around you found a replacement, didn't seem so hard to find one either, huh”  
“That's not fair”, Merlin's eyes were sad and he looked hurt.  
“No, what's not fair is that you expect me to be someone I'm not”, Arthur groaned and walked towards the door, “And once again I'm proven right that it's not me you love, but that other person who's supposed to be me, but that I obviously do not know!”  
He grabbed his jacket and stormed out of their flat, yelling one last time at Merlin: “And I really hate being compared to myself, because I can never beat him!”  
He slammed the door shut behind himself and marched off.


	7. Chapter 7

It wasn't until long after midnight that Arthur came back. He opened the door to their flat quietly, threw the keys on the kitchen table and grabbed a beer from the fridge.   
Of course he was still full of anger and frustration but at the same time he knew fairly well that he had no where else to go. This wasn't his world after all.  
“You are back”, came a soft voice from the door to the living room. Merlin was standing there in his pyjamas, looking dishevelled and worried.  
Arthur didn't reply anything, glanced at him but stayed silent.  
“I'm sorry”, the dark haired man said, stepping in, moving slowly over the cold kitchen floor towards the blonde, “Look, I know this is hard for you, but no one said life would be easy, right? And if it's any help, it isn't easy for me either”  
Arthur looked at him, still keeping quiet.  
“I can't talk to you about our past and even though I know – really, I do know – that you are a different person than the Arthur I knew, I can't help thinking about him – you – because in the end you are him and he is you and all this shit hurts too much”  
Arthur put down the can of beer and walked up to Merlin, looking him straight in the eye, “I thought about it all. And I honestly believe it would be the best for the both of us if I were to go home the sooner the better”  
Merlin stared at him with wide eyes, swallowed hard and nodded, “You are right”  
“So, please. Try and find a way as soon as possible, Merlin. I'm counting on you. You are the only one who can help me here, you know that, right? And to be honest, I'm quite sure you already know how I can go back”  
Merlin looked away.  
“See, so, will you do me a favour and release me from this curse?”, Arthur caressed Merlin's cheek gently, “So I can finally properly meet you? So I can finally become the Arthur you love?”  
“Arthur...”, Merlin's voice was breaking and he felt tears welling up.  
“Please?”, the once and future king moved in closer and placed a tender kiss to Merlin's lips, “do it for us”  
Merlin looked at him out of wet eyes, “I promise”

Arthur fell asleep that night in Merlin's arms, feeling his warmth and heart beat for the last time for he didn't know how long. He took it all in, trying to remember how the other man felt under his finger tips, his warm body pressed against his back and his kisses on his neck. They didn't go any further than kissing and touching. Arthur knew now he couldn't do that. He wanted Merlin to share his first time. He wanted to be truly loved by Merlin for when it came that far. And Arthur knew that Merlin understood.

“Good morning”, Merlin greeted Arthur when he walked into the living room the next day.  
His chain mail was laid out on the sofa and his sword looked freshly polished and glimmered in the warm sunlight coming through the windows.  
“What is this?”, Arthur asked, nodding towards his old clothes.  
“Your chainmail?”, Merlin motioned Arthur to come closer.  
“Yeah, I can see that, but why is it here?”  
“You ought to be dressed appropriately when you go back, right?”  
Arthur stared at him.  
“You can't go back like that, can you?”, Merlin pointed at Arthur, who was wearing a loose T-shirt and pyjama trousers.  
“No... but... you know how I can goo back?”  
Merlin nodded, “Yeah”  
He looked away as he began to explain, “You were right yesterday, when you said I already knew a way. I've known for a couple of days now. I just... I wanted you all to myself for a little while longer”  
Arthur clenched his fists.  
“I know that was selfish but... I hadn't seen you in centuries, Arthur... Do you know how hard it is to let you go now? Now, that I... finally got you back? The only reason I can let you go is because I know you have to for us to actually meet!”  
He moved towards the blonde and brushed his hands with his own.  
“I'm sorry... and I hope... you won't forget me and... that you won't forget everything that happened here”  
Arthur bit down on his bottom lip and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.  
“Of course not”, he looked at Merlin, his eyes sad, “How could I ever forget you”  
He stroked his neck and tried to smile, “I can never forget you, as weird as it might sound, but I think it's destiny with us”  
Merlin's eyes seemed to shine at that and he looked to the floor, “Thank you, Arthur”  
“And thank you”, the blonde said, taking Merlin's hands into his and he kissed them softly, “for showing me a world so different than mine and open my mind to things I always deemed impossible”  
“Yeah”, Merlin said quietly.  
“So, uhm... how is this going to happen exactly?”  
“What?”  
“Me – going back? And all?”, Arthur gestured a bit.  
“Oh right. Well, change and I'll tell you”  
“Alright”  
It was a weird feeling being back in the ever so heavy chain mail, the scratchy fabrics on his skin and the all too familiar smell of metal and sweat on his body, the known weight of the sword in his hands. Arthur hadn't been able to tell before if he had missed it but now he knew. This was what he knew, what he was. A fighter, a prince, the future king of a land that needed him. He looked around at Merlin who simply nodded back.  
“Merlin”, Arthur said serious.  
“Arthur”, Merlin replied and inhaled sharply.  
“This is it, huh?”  
Merlin nodded, “Yes, so it seems”  
“Come here”, Arthur's eyes softened and he pulled Merlin into a gentle embrace, “Don't forget me, or the other Arthur... and know I will always remember this”  
He moved back to look at him.  
“Arthur, I-”  
But the blonde stopped him from talking with a kiss, a long and deep good bye kiss. Merlin knew the end had come. The time he would start from scratch once more. Waiting year after year for Arthur to return to him, hoping to see him again, to catch a glimpse of what had once been.  
“I'll miss you”, Merlin whispered.  
“Me too”, Arthur said softly, letting go of Merlin.  
“Stand there”, Merlin told him, “Close your eyes. Don't open them until you feel a different air around yourself”  
Arthur frowned irritated, “What do you mean by that?”  
“You will know when you are back, believe me. Trust me”, Merlin smiled at him sadly.  
“What will you do?”  
“Don't worry about that, Arthur. Just... just close your eyes and let it happen”  
Arthur nodded, smiled at Merlin one last time and closed his eyes.  
He felt a sudden rush of adrenaline running through his veins and a storm coming up, surrounding him like a cage of wind. 

Only seconds later Arthur smelled the all too familiar scent of pine trees, a soft breeze brushed over his skin and birds were singing not too far away.   
Arthur opened his eyes and found himself at the edge of a wood. He looked around, at the clear blue sky, no trace of a storm around him. There was rustling sounds in a close distance and he heard voices calling out. They were calling out for him.  
He was back. This was in the lands of Camelot, this was a place not too far from where he had been taken away to the future.  
Arthur shouted back, “I'm here, over here!”  
He ran towards the noises, his knights and soon saw the red of capes flowing in the wind, the glistening of metal in the afternoon sun and the dirt and sweat on the skin of his men.  
“Sire!”, one of the men called out, running towards him, almost stumbling over his own feet, “Where have you been? We've been searching for you all day”  
“All day?”, the prince asked.  
“Yes, Sire. You were suddenly gone after that storm and we've been searching ever since! What happened?”  
“I... I've been gone for a day only?”, he couldn't believe it.  
“Yes, Sire... a full day”, the young knight seemed utterly confused.  
Arthur looked around, then at the sky and down at his hands. There was something written in the palm of his left hand, “I'll be waiting”  
The blonde clenched his hand into a fist and met the eyes of the knight. He couldn't have been much older than him.   
“That storm seemed to have lead me to another place”  
The other man stared at him confused, “Was it... magic?”  
Arthur wondered about the same thing, thinking back at how easily he had come back all of a sudden. How Merlin hadn't told him the solution to the problem, how he had said he had been under some curse. Maybe it had been magic, but maybe it had been something else. He didn't know and in all honesty, Arthur didn't want to know.  
“Maybe, I don't know for sure. Whatever it was, it... it is over now”  
He looked around. All his men had gathered there now and were watching him expectantly.  
“It's good to be back”, Arthur said with a smile, “Now, let's go back to the castle, I'd like to see my father... the king”


	8. Chapter 8

It was strange to be back at first, but soon Arthur was back in the same old daily routines he had always been in. Sure, he missed the easy way of living he had had in the future but he also knew where he belonged and that this was the best place for him to be, it felt right.   
The only thing he couldn't get completely over was Merlin. He missed him every single day and it almost drove him mad to be impatiently waiting around for the boy to appear.   
Merlin had told him himself that he would come to Camelot one day, that they would meet, become friends, so why wasn't he here already? How long did he have to wait for that day to come?  
Arthur found himself indulging more and more in training with the knights, excelling at his sword fighting and riding skills, even sitting with his father through endless council meetings, anything to keep himself occupied and busy with. The moment he wasn't doing anything, Arthur's thoughts were circling around Merlin, his kisses, his touches, they way his soft hair had felt under his fingers.  
“Argh!”, Arthur cursed, throwing his sword to the floor in his chambers. It crashed soundly onto the hard stone plates. “Damn it all”  
The prince let himself fall down in the seat of the window, running his hands through his hair in frustration. How much he wanted to scream his agony out, how much he wanted to yell at Merlin for leaving him alone like this with all of this knowledge, but he couldn't. He didn't even dare speak about any of it to anyone, not even Morgana, the only one he trusted within these castle walls, nor Gaius. He was sure the old physician would go running to the king right away if Arthur were to tell him about his longing for another man that didn't even seem to exist.  
Arthur lived in the days like this, in hope Merlin would walk around the corner of a street any second and greet him with a bright smile reaching his ears, but he didn't. Weeks passed and turned into months.   
And when Arthur finally saw him again more than a year had already passed.   
The prince was having some fun on the courtyard and a young boy, with a black mop for hair, bright blue eyes shining cheekily in the bright morning sun, was trying to teach him a lesson. Him – the prince of Camelot.  
How did he dare do something as outrages as that? And the way the boy was moving, grinning, talking, everything screamed 'Merlin', but he couldn't be sure. Maybe he was imagining things, things he desperately wanted to be true.   
When he said his name though, Arthur knew for sure, he had never forgotten and no matter how much he longed to pull him into his arms to tell him how much he had missed him, he understood well enough he couldn't. That boy didn't know him, that boy wasn't the Merlin he had fallen in love with back in the future. Now he knew what Merlin must had felt like. It hurt. A bitter sweet pain that tore your mind and heart apart. Arthur could only force a smile to meet him with and tell him off. He had to keep face. He was the prince after all.

 

A couple of years later.

Of course he would forgive Merlin his magic. Of course he wouldn't care about any of that. Of course the other man meant everything to him even after such a betrayal. And yet he didn't find the right words to say all that. He couldn't form the words to forgive him or himself.  
There was still so much he wanted to tell Merlin, so much they were to share, but somehow it would all end now, like this. Alone at last for the first time being honest and open and just them, but also for the last time.  
Now Arthur understood. Now he knew why Merlin had kept his future from him, why he hadn't said a single word about this. He had known all along that this would happen. The king didn't know whether he should curse the man for that or love him even more.  
Yes, after all this time, after all those years, Arthur still loved Merlin from the bottom of his heart. He had loved him in the future, he had fallen for the Merlin in his time and he would still love him when they would meet again.  
Merlin was holding him in his arms, Arthur had told him to. The dark haired man was crying, his heart beating so fast from the rush of adrenaline caused by his fear of losing Arthur.  
There was so much to say, but so little time.  
He wanted to tell him how much he regretted marrying Guinevere instead of just being with Merlin, how he regretted never telling him the truth about his feelings towards him, how he had been the coward and never Merlin. Or how he didn't care about his magic, and of course how much he loved him. It was no use. His lips felt as heavy as never before and he couldn't utter a single sound.   
“Arthur, Arthur!”, he heard Merlin sobbing, almost like a chant, a spell to keep him there.  
“Merlin”, Arthur was finally able to whisper, bringing his hand up to brush through the other's hair, “I...”  
He wanted to tell him. Arthur needed him to know. That they would meet again, that he would love him forever. Even though Merlin had never said anything either, Arthur knew, he just knew he loved him too, maybe even more.  
With what felt was his last strength, Arthur tugged Merlin down a little, motioning him to come closer. Merlin did. Thus Arthur kissed him and with his last breath, he whispered with a smile: “I love you”  
Then all Arthur's pain was gone and he felt himself drift off into a welcome oblivion, bathed in the sound of Merlin's voice saying his name, over and over again, until there was nothing left.


	9. Sequel

It was a warm and sunny spring day in Cambridge and Arthur was a student at King's College and taking a tour through the town on his new red bike. His bag was thrown over his back and he drove around a corner and into the park. A flock of pigeons fluttered off, disturbed by Arthur driving through their lunching area.  
He chuckled and stopped on the way as he saw a bench at the far end of the narrow path.  
There was a man, sitting there reading a newspaper. When he looked up and their eyes met, his mouth split into a wide smile, so did Arthur's and he forgot about his brand new bike and let it crash to the ground, running the last few feet up to the dark haired figure he had missed so much and dreamed about ever since he could remember.  
“Arthur!”, the other man exclaimed, jumping up from where he was sat, running towards him as well and they met in a bone crushing hug.  
“Merlin”, the blonde man whispered, holding the other close, breathing into his neck.  
“I've missed you so much”, Merlin said, “I've waited for so long”  
“I know, Merlin. I know”  
They didn't let go for what felt like hours and once they did they looked at each other in awe.  
It was as if that moment had been what they had always been working for. But now that it was here they were too much in shock than to know what to do.  
And yet it was so very simple. Arthur took Merlin's head between his hands and kissed him, deep and full of love.  
Finally, they had their happy ending. Fate had brought them together once again and this time they wouldn't let go ever again.

The end


End file.
